Social media influencers form the latest wave of commercial stakeholders in modern sports, having become increasingly active as participants as well.
The PGA Tour is recognising this with the latest addition to its sporting calendar, the ‘Creators Classic’. The event will take place on 28 August at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, prior to the beginning of the Tour Championship.
The PGA has chosen 16 golf influencers to participate, competing against members of the East Lake Golf Club. So far, Tyler Toney from Dude Perfect, the Bryan Bros, Fat Perez from Bob Does Sport and Garrett Clark, Brad Dallke and Sean Walsh from Good Good have been booked as participants.
Managed in partnership with Pro Shop, the tournament is a nine-hole event, consisting of eight holes of gross stroke play followed by a playoff between the top four finishers. Foursome teams will be named the day before the event.
“The PGA Tour is proud to partner with Pro Shop and these popular golf content creators for an exciting new concept,” said Chris Wandell, PGA TOUR Senior Vice President – Media.
“We look forward to bringing the fans of these social media stars closer to all the PGA Tour has to offer, and what better place to debut this competition than at the culminating event of the FedExCup Playoffs.”
Social media influencers have become more and more prominent in professional sports with boxing arguably one of the sport’s with the most notable proliferation of online personalities, withJake and Logan Paul being by far the biggest names.
These events have built up a considerable following, particularly among younger audiences. Media outlets have been quick to seize on the opportunities, such as when Netflix secured the rights to broadcast the now-cancelled Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson bout.
In the case of the new influencer event, the Creator Classic will be streamed via the PGA Tour’s YouTube channel, Peacock, ESPN+ and on the PGA Tour’s channel on PlutoTV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Tubi, XUMO, and on FAST platforms. It has also secured a sponsor in Blackstone Products, a cookware company.
Chad Mumm, Founder and President of Pro Shop, remarked: “Golf is in the middle of an explosion in popularity and, for many young people, some of the biggest stars have emerged on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
“The Creator Classic will bring the brightest of these new stars to the biggest stage in golf, giving them a chance to compete in a real PGA TOUR environment in front of fans both on site and all over the world.
“The combination of these creators, who have millions of loyal fans, and the PGA TOUR’s unparalleled competitive atmosphere, production value and massive reach promises to deliver a landmark golf event unlike any other.”
